The following is issued on behalf of the Hospital Authority:

     The 61st issue of "HA Risk Alert" was published today (April 30) by the Hospital Authority (HA) as a risk management and communication initiative to further strengthen the reporting and monitoring of medical incidents in public hospitals.
 
     In the fourth quarter of 2020 (October to December), there were 12 Sentinel Events reported, comprising four cases of retained instrument/material after surgery/interventional procedure, two cases of inpatient suicide, one case of wrong part procedure, one case of maternal morbidity, one case of medication error and three cases in other categories. Among the 31 reported Serious Untoward Events, there were 27 related to medication error and four patient misidentifications.
 
     "Subsequent to incident review and analysis of the root causes of these incidents, important lessons for patient safety have been identified, while recommendations are made and shared in this publication to avoid similar events in future," the HA spokesperson said.
 
     The HA Head Office has released the latest "HA Risk Alert" to all staff. It can also be accessed by the public at www.ha.org.hk/riskalert. "HA Risk Alert" is published on a quarterly basis and posted on the HA website on the last working Friday in the months of January, April, July and October. The next issue is scheduled on July 30, 2021 (Friday).

     The Government announced today (April 30) its provisional financial results for the year ended March 31, 2021.
 
     Expenditure for the year ended March 31, 2021, amounted to HK$816 billion and revenue HK$564.2 billion, resulting in a deficit of HK$232.5 billion after receipt of net proceeds of HK$19.3 billion from issuance of green bonds under the Government Green Bond Programme (Green Bond).
 
     Expenditure for the year recorded a variance of 11.6 per cent (HK$84.9 billion) higher than the original estimate, while revenue recorded a variance of 1.5 per cent (HK$8.3 billion) lower than the original estimate.
 
     The consolidated deficit for the year was HK$25.1 billion lower than the revised estimate of HK$257.6 billion. Revenue was HK$20.7 billion (3.8 per cent) higher than expected, mainly attributable to stamp duties (HK$10 billion higher) and earnings and profits tax (HK$7 billion higher). Expenditure was HK$4.4 billion (0.5 per cent) lower than forecast for the revised estimate mainly due to lower-than-expected requirements.
 
     The fiscal reserves stood at HK$927.8 billion as at March 31, 2021.
 
     A Government spokesperson said that these are provisional figures pending the final closing of the annual accounts. According to past experience, any changes to the provisional figures are unlikely significant.
 
     Detailed figures are shown in Tables 1 and 2.
 
TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED ACCOUNT (PROVISIONAL) (Note 1)
 

 
Government Debts as at March 31, 2021 (Note 3)
    HK$27,216 million
Debts Guaranteed by Government as at March 31, 2021 (Note 4)
    HK$82,589.5 million
 
TABLE 2. FISCAL RESERVES (PROVISIONAL)
 

Notes:

1. This Account consolidates the General Revenue Account and the following eight Funds: Capital Works Reserve Fund, Capital Investment Fund, Civil Service Pension Reserve Fund, Disaster Relief Fund, Innovation and Technology Fund, Land Fund, Loan Fund and Lotteries Fund. It excludes the Bond Fund, the balance of which is not part of the fiscal reserves. The Bond Fund balance as at March 31, 2021, was HK$152,848 million.

2. Includes transactions with the Exchange Fund and resident banks.
 
3. These were the Green Bonds of US$3,500 million (equivalent to HK$27,216 million as at March 31, 2021) including US$1,000 million and US$2,500 million issued under the Government Green Bond Programme in May 2019 and February 2021 respectively, which were denominated in US dollars with maturity from May 2024 to February 2051. They do not include the outstanding bonds with nominal value of HK$119,157 million and alternative bonds with nominal value of US$1,000 million (equivalent to HK$7,776 million as at March 31, 2021) issued under the Government Bond Programme (with proceeds credited to the Bond Fund). Of these bonds under the Government Bond Programme (including Silver Bonds with nominal value of HK$20,857 million, which may be redeemed before maturity upon request from bond holders), bonds with nominal value of HK$17,430 million will mature within the period from April 2021 to March 2022 and the rest within the period from April 2022 to March 2036.

4. Includes guarantees provided under the SME Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2001, the Special Loan Guarantee Scheme launched in 2008, the SME Financing Guarantee Scheme launched in 2012 and a commercial loan of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation.

5. Includes HK$219,691 million being the balance of the Land Fund held in the name of "Future Fund", for long-term investments initially up to December 31, 2025. The Future Fund also includes HK$4,800 million, being one-third of the actual surplus in 2015-16 as top-up.

     The fourth report on the progress of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in implementing the United Nations (UN) Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women is now available for public inspection.

     "The HKSAR report forms part of the ninth report submitted by the People's Republic of China to the UN under the Convention," a government spokesman said today (April 30).

     "The report sets out the progress in the implementation of the Convention in the HKSAR since the submission of the previous report in 2012. It also responds to the concluding comments of the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women after its hearing on the previous report in 2014.

     "The report has taken account of the comments and views received from Legislative Council Members and members of the community during the public consultation on the proposed outline of the report from March to May 2018," he said.

     In line with the established practice, the report will be examined by the UN Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women in a future hearing, the date of which is to be fixed.

     The full text of the report, in Chinese and English, is available on the Labour and Welfare Bureau's dedicated website on the Convention (www.lwb.gov.hk/CEDAW).

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:
 
     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) announced today (April 30) that the total assets of the Exchange Fund amounted to HK$4,535.7 billion as at March 31, 2021, HK$46.1 billion lower than that at the end of February 2021. Foreign currency assets decreased by HK$40.6 billion and Hong Kong dollar assets decreased by HK$5.5 billion.
 
     The decline in foreign currency assets was mainly due to a decrease in the month-end balances of unsettled purchase of securities and reduction in Fiscal Reserves placements. The decline in Hong Kong dollar assets was mainly due to the mark-to-market valuation of Hong Kong equities.
 
     The Currency Board Account shows that the Monetary Base at the end of March 2021 was HK$2,107.9 billion, decreased by HK$9.1 billion, or 0.4 per cent, from the end of February 2021. The decline was mainly due to a decrease in the outstanding amount of Certificates of Indebtedness.
 
     The amount of Backing Assets decreased by HK$4.6 billion, or 0.2 per cent, to HK$2,320.0 billion. The decrease was mainly attributable to the redemption of Certificates of Indebtedness, which was partly offset by the translation effect of foreign currency investments into Hong Kong dollar. The backing ratio increased from 109.80 per cent at the end of February 2021 to 110.06 per cent at the end of March 2021.
 
****************************************************************
 
     At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of April 2021, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows:
 

The following is issued on behalf of the Hong Kong Monetary Authority:

     The Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) released today (April 30) the analytical data on the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region's foreign currency reserves and foreign currency liquidity as at the end of March 2021 (Annex). These data are published monthly in the Template on International Reserves and Foreign Currency Liquidity in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard.

****************************************************************
 
     At present, four press releases relating to the Exchange Fund's data are issued by the HKMA each month. Three of these releases are issued to disseminate monetary data in accordance with the International Monetary Fund's Special Data Dissemination Standard (SDDS). The fourth press release, on the Exchange Fund's Abridged Balance Sheet and Currency Board Account, is made in accordance with the HKMA's policy of maintaining a high level of transparency. For the month of April 2021, the scheduled dates for issuing the press releases are as follows: